Socket device for vacuum tubes



May 7, 1929. F: REUTTER SOCKET DEVICE FOR VACUUM TUBES Filed May 7, 1926 few, ,4,

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. Patented May 7,.1929

UNITED STATES FREDERICK mil-TEE, OF 'WATEBBURY,

Parr-1m" OFFICE.

connnc'ncu'r, Assrenon 'ro scovnm mm- Applicationfiled kay- 7,

This invention relates toimprovements in socket devices for vacuum tubes such as are generall employed. in radio apparatus It is own that such vacuum tubes are 5 relatively sensitive to shock and that any jarring or vibration of such a tube while in operation is disadvantageous for reasons well understood by those skilled in the art. It has been common heretofore to provide a spring mounted socket for such a tube 1n order to prevent or, at least, minimize the transmission of shocks -or vibrations to the tube.

By the presentinvention there is provided a spring mounting which .will have asuflicient length of spring to give the desired resiliency, within a limited space, wh le at the same time providing contact terminals forthe requisite electric circuits in an efii- 2o cient manner. The invention consists in the features, details of construction and .combi-' parts whichwill first be described nation of in connection with the accompanying draw ings and then particularly pointed out. In the drawings i Figure l is a side elevation, ar'tly insection, of a socket-device embo ying' the invention, with a vacuum tube. in place;

Figure 2 is .a bottom plan view of the socket-device; and 1 Figure 3 is a section on line'3-3 of Figure '2 of the spring device secured to the base'. board.

Referring to the drawin s, 1 is a baseboard of non-conductive m terial, such for example as fibr'e, and,' in the particular embodiment shown, is suitable for use in a radio receiver set. i

This base board is provided with a central circular opening whose diameter is greater than that of the socket base 2. The latter is usually. circular and is made of insulating. material such; for example, as hard rubber or a suitablephenolic condensation as the material product such for example known (in the market as bakelite- To the socket base 2 is secured a socket 3 made of metal. This socket is advantageously formed of drawn tubing so as to be sufiici'ently strong and rigid while at the same time being of relatively. light. weight.

This. socket has its bottom end flanged outward, as shown at 4, the flange being provided with -a;plura l 1ty of lugs 5. n the socmrr jnnvrcn For. vacuum Tunas.

1926. Serial No. 107,318.

embodiment.illustrated, four such lugs are shown these bein equally spaced apart. Each. ug',5 1s perf orated and 1s secured .to the-socket base 2 by tubular eyelet rivets.

The socket and socket'base are supported on a plurality of leaf or plate spring devices, four of such devices being shown in the drawings.- Each spring device may be .considered as comprlsing three parts, viz, a mam portion indicated at 6, an inwardl extending spring contact portion 7, whieii 1s an extension of the main portion, and an outward extending spring tongue 8.. The latter is formedbystampmg itup from the main portion 6, thereby leaving two relatively narrow strips of the main portion at each side of the spring tongue. The latter end of the main portion 6, and is bent first sharply upward rom the main portion and then at a lesser angle to the main portion- The outer end of each spring tongue 8 is perforated and is secured to the socket base 2' by eyelet rivets, the points of connection of the sprin tongues to the socket base bemg interme iate the points of connection of the lug 5 to the socket base.

The uter end of the main portion 6 of each sp'ri g device is perforated whereby it may be secured to the under side of the baseboard lin any. suitable way, as for example, by eyelet rivets,'as shown in the drawings. Also, the saidmain portion has a stud or connects only at its inner end with the outer button indicated'at 6, which may be. pressed down at an angle and-may also have ears 6, between which. a connecting wire may be in sorted andheld by. bending the ears" down and soldering. I

The spring contact portions 7 are bent up wardabove-the plane of the main portions 6, as will beseen from the drawings...

In the best embodiment of the invention,

outer end of the main portion 6 maybe bent the spring devices-extend radial'l with respect to the socket and are all 0 the same size, so that they press up uniformly on the terminals of the vacuum tube and react uniformly on the socket-base.

.The radio tube consists of the usual exhausted receiver 9 of glass, containing a.

filament having terminals 11 and12, and also containing 'a late 13 and agrid 14, the terminals of wli and 16' respectively; The tubeihas the usual base 17 having'a radially projecting pin 18.

The socket 3, is provided with a bayonet slot to receive this pin 18, this slot being-in- I dicated at 19.

The location of the terminals" 11 and 12 for the filament and the terminals 15 and 16 for the arubbing contact and insuring a good electrical connection between the terminals and the contact portions. The amount of rotation of the tube permitted by the travel of the pin 18 in the horizontal or locking portion of the bayonet slot 19 is not enough to allow the terminals 11, 12,, 15 and tions The base-board 1 may-be provided with a plurality. ofbinding posts 20, 21, 22, 23 which are connected with the outer ends of the respective main portions 6, so that the circuit connections may be made to the filament and to the plate and grid respectively. 1 a

It will. be seen that the terminals of the radio tube are in contact with spring contact devices having a spring act on due to the combined length of the main portion 6 and of the spring contact portion 7, while the springsup ort for the socket base 2 has a length su stantially equivalent to the combined length of the main portion 6 and the spring'tongue 8, and since the tongue 8 is relatively narrowand the main portion is cut away by the stamping up of the spring tongue, the s ring support ofthe socket base and of-t a tube is very much more resilient than it would be if the socket base was secured directly to the inain portions 7 What I claimis:

ich are indicated at 15- late and grid respectively issuch that w en the tube is inserted "in the great a pass ofi the corresponding contact por- 1. A socket device for vacuum tubes, comprising a socket-base ofinsulating material, a socket secured to said socket-base and arranged to hold thevacuum tube, and a pluralit of s ring devices, each extending inwar 1y to orm a spring contact for the terminal of the vacuum tube and having a spring portion integral with, but partly severed mm, the device, said portion having a freetend secured to the socket base.

'- 2. A 'socket device for three-electrode vacuum tubes, comprising a socket-base of insulating material, a socket secured to said socket-base and arranged to hold the vacuum tube, and four spring devices, each comprisinga main portion, a spring tongueand a spring contact portion, 'the spring tongue having its inner end joined to the said main portion and its outer end secured to the socket-base, the spring contact portion extending inward and being arranged to make an electrical contact with the respective terminal o the vacuum tube, said four springdevices extending radially with respect to the 'socket'and being spaced apart e ually.

3 A socket device for vacuum tu es comprising a socket-base of insulating material,

a socket secured-to said socket-base and arranged to hold a vacuum tube and a ralitv of spring devices each extending inwar y to form. a spring contact'for a terminal 'of the vacuum tube and 7 having a- Spring portion integral with but partly severed to the device, said portion having a free end secured to the socket-base, and outwardly extending lugs' onsaid device for receiving -a conductor. Y

4. A socket device for vacuum tubes comprising asocket-base of insulating material, a socketfsecured'to said socket-baseand arranged to hold the/vacuum tube, and a plurality of spring devices each extending inwardly to form a spring contact for a terminal of the vacuum tube. and having a spring portion integral with butpartly severed from the device, said portion having a free end secured to the socket-base.

In testimony whereof. I have hereunto set my hand.

FREDERICK REUTTER. 

